Flow booster for air pipes



Aug. 8, 1939 J. RUCIER 2,168,783

FLOW BOOSTER FOR AIR PIPES Filed Feb. 4, 1936 E s \3/ 3T e Inventor, M

Jam.

Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED s'rA'rss learner orrics FLOW BOOSTER FOR AIR PIPES Joseph Rucier, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application February 4, 1936, Serial No. 62,262

4 Claims. (Cl. 98--38) This invention relates to flow boosters for air Mounted upon the top of the furnace casing, and pipes, spaced from the inclined wall It, is a hood ll.

In the use of hot air furnaces it is difficult at In Figure 2, openings 18 are located just above times, to heat certain rooms in a house, where the section IQ, of the pipe I I The hood I l is the cause is the slowness at which the hot air closed all around at the top 23 and serves as a 5; from the upper chamber of a hot air furnace kind of air jacket, surrounding the wall iii, to} flows through the hot air pipe to the room. retain the heat radiating from the air chamber Sometimes a motor fan is used in connection 3. The Skirt Of the h00d Se also, y with a hot air pipe to increase or boost the its spacing from the casing portion iii, to catch a 1'0; velocity of air flowing in the pipe, The operation part of the heated air rising next to the vertical of such a motor fan is a constant added expense wall of the furnace.

to the running of a hot air system, where the In the line of each of the air pipes I l and 12, air in the pipes must be forced by a fan to get is a section which constitutes the booster the proper flow of hot air desired. (See also Figures 3 and 4.) This booster 22 has 1 5 The main object of my invention is to proa tubular portion 23, of the same size as the pipes 5 vide a stationary booster device adapted to be H and I2, and is fitted at each end to portions of fitted in the line of pipe carrying hot air, so conthe pipe to which it is attached. This tubular structed that, without the aid of a motor fan it portion 23, has a zone of holes 24 therethrough. will cause a practical increase in the flow of hot The holes 24 are shown to vary in size, the smaller air flowing through the hot air pipe and through holes being at the upper part of the tubular por- 20 the booster device, in line with the path of air tion 23, and the larger ones being at the bottom flowing in the pipe, while at the same time takpart, so that most of the air drawn into the poring in extra air surrounding the booster device, tion 23, comes in through the lower and larger and increasing the volume of air flowing in the holes, where the upwardly traveling warm air,

25. pipe beyond the booster device, next to the furnace, is more easily entered, in the 25 Another object of my invention is to have direction of its movement, however the influence booster device so located, when used in connecof the suction operates to draw some air into all tion with a hot air furnace, that it will be in the of the holes. Surrounding the holes 24 on the path of the cylinder of rising air, immediately outside, is a tapered thin flange 25, fixed at 26, to

surrounding the furnace. the booster portion 23, and diverging toward the 30 With these and other objects, which. will herefurnace to afford an opening 21, to catch and inafter appear, my invention resides in certain lead air into the holes 24, where it is drawn in. constructions, one embodiment of which is illus- Within the booster portion 23, is fixed the sheet trated in the drawing and is hereinafter de metal truncated conical piece 28, positioned to 3:52 s r The operation is explained and what I have its small end away from the furnace and claim is set forth. positioned to beopposite the holes 24. This piece In the drawing, 28 fits at 29 into the portion 2?, at a plane back re 1 is a sectional elevation of a fragment of the holes 24, toward the furnace. Projecting of the upper portion of a hot air furnace and an through the mouth or small end 30, of the piece air pipe showing the attachment thereto, of the 28, is a double conical element 3i, having its axis 40 various parts, of my invention. preferably co-incident with the axis of the piece Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of another 28, which is also the axis of the cylindrical porfragment of the upper portion of a hot air furtion 23. The cone portion 32 is Within the piece nace and air pipes, including a modified form of 28, while the cone portion 33 extends beyond the 455, my invention. mouth end 30, of the piece 28. The tapered piece Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken 3| is supported in position by the thin arms 34, on the line 33, of Figure 4, showing the booster. having their broad sides in planes passing through Figure 4 is an end elevation, looking into the the axis of the booster. intake end of the booster, shown in Figures Extending from the upper edge of the tapered,

; 1 and 2. outside flange 25, to the hood ll, just over the 50 In the figures, the upper casing portion ill, of holes [8, is the cover piece 35, open below. The a furnace, is shown in each of the Figures 1 and 2 air pipe I2 is shown to have a booster like the to have hot air pipes ii and i2, leading from booster 22, on pipe ll; similar parts being simithe uppermost, hot air chamber 53. The holes larly numbered, respectively. If desired, for rel4 and I5 are for hot air pipe connections. ducing the expense of installation, the hood ll and the cover piece 35 can be left off, and the booster 22 alone used, without these auxiliary parts, as the booster will operate by itself without them. Some saving in heat may be had by adding the hood I1 and the cover piece 35.

Having described the construction of the one embodiment of my invention above described and illustrated in the drawing, I will now explain its operation.

When air, water or any other fluid flows at a certain rate through a pipe and into a conical, convergent, tubular element, the fluid flows out of the small end of such an element at a much increased velocity. The nozzle on the end of a hose is such an element, giving such force to the water in increased velocity, as to throw the water considerable distance. This increased velocity of the fluid emerging from the conical element produces another effect, and that is to reduce the side pressure of the fluid, next to the stream, just emerging from the small end of the conical ele ment. The effect of this reduction of pressure in a booster including an outside tube, having a conical shell within, and holes in the wall of the tube near the conical shell, is to produce a suction through the holes. In the case where air is the fluid considered, heated air flowing in a hot air pipe of a furnace, as the pipe II, and using the booster 22, the velocity of the air flowing from the pipe section I9, into the conical piece 28, of the booster 22, is greately increased as it leaves the mouth end 30, of the piece 28, and produces a suction within the booster 22, drawing in air through the holes 24, to join circumferentially the faster flowing stream of air, leaving the mouth end 30, so that both the velocity and volume of air flowing in the portion of the pipe II, is increased beyond the booster 22, through the remaining part of the pipe I I, to a register at the end of this pipe II, (not shown) into a room. This increase in volume and velocity of hot air, flowing from the register, gives the air within the pipe II, beyond the booster, less chance to lose its heat by radiation from the pipe, on the way to the register, because a given quantity of hot air, flowing in the pipe I I, remains a much shorter time within the pipe I I. It is evident that while the tapered piece 3|, thus increases the velocity of flow of air leaving the mouth end 3!], of the booster 22, the booster will operate and perform its functions if this piece 3! were eliminated. By actual use of such a booster, as 22, illustrated in the drawing and attached to a furnace pipe, as II or I2, I have heated rooms that could not be heated before. Considering the function of the outside conical flange 25, this acts to guide outside air to the holes 24, as well as to shut off any draft of air, over the outside of the holes 24.

By having the holes 24, larger at the bottom of the portion 23, than at the top, I take advantage of the upward natural flow of air coming up from the hot sides of the furnace. However regardless of the relative size of the holes 24, the air surrounding the holes 24 will be drawn in. By positioning the booster 22 near the furnace, as I have, the air entering the booster 22, from the pipe section I9, is hotter than it would be at a greater distance from the furnace. The hotter this air, entering the booster 22, the hotter will be the air leaving it at a much increased velocity, besides the cylinder of rising air, next to furnace is hotter than air further away, making for an evident advantage in drawing in hotter air through the holes. In order to take further ad- I vantage of the heat radiated from the furnace,

particularly at its top next to the upper hot air chamber, I provide the hood II, as an air jacket, having outlets at the top, as at I8, from which outlets I8, the extra heated air finds its way beneath the cover 35, to the booster 22, at the flange 25. This cover 35 being open below, will catch heated air of the rising cylinder of air, immediately adjacent the furnace, and convey it to the booster. This air jacket or hood being open around the furnace, at the skirt 2 I, lets in hot air coming up from contact with the furnace. This air jacket I'I also serves as a kind of heat insulator about the walls I6, of the uppermost hot air chamber I3, from which the hot air enters the hot air pipes, radiating therefrom, as pipes II and I2. The booster 22 will operate independent of any hood I! and cover 35, as auxiliary means. The booster 22 will also operate at a comparatively further distance, or near the furnace, as shown in the drawing. The booster will also operate in the line of any air pipe, where the air entering the booster from such pipe has an initial velocity, however produced; as by fan or otherwise, in connection with an air conditioning device giving the air flowing axially into the booster, an initial velocity. Air entering the holes 24, can be treated air as to humidity, or heat, or cold, or any combination thereof.

Inasmuch as modifications of the structure of the booster and other features of my invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, I wish to include all forms which come within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an air flow device adapted to operate in connection with the natural flow of heated air in a hot air pipe of a hot air furnace or the like, stationary means for increasing said natural flow of heated air in an unobstructed, central zone of said hot air pipe beyond said means, said stationary means comprising a tubular body forming a continuous section of said hot air pipe, a truncated cone member positioned to have its large end fitting into the bore of said tubular body, to be further positioned substantially co-axially therewith and to have its large end in free and unobstructed receiving position, to receive a full section of hot air from said hot air pipe, and with its small end positioned to discharge a central zone of hot air into a continuing length of said hot pipe in the line of its natural flow. to increase its lineal velocity at said central zone there being openings in that zone of said tubular body, surrounding said conical member beyond its large end, whereby free air surrounding said zone of openings, is drawn into said tubular body to mix with heated air flowing in a central zone from the small end of said conical member,

2. In an air flow device having a stationary means made in accordance with that mentioned in claim 1, and having in addition a radially projecting flange about said flow means, positioned to surround said conical member.

3. An air flow device adapted to increase the flow of heated air beyond its natural flow in a hot air pipe, of a hot air furnace or the like, said device being positioned in the line of the pipe with which it is incorporated, to have heated air pass thru. it, said device including a tubular casing connecting portions of said hot air pipe, said casing having a peripherial opening to outside air, a tapered tubular member within said casing, positioned in a transverse plane, which includes said opening, the larger end of said tapered tubular member coinciding with the inner wall of said casing, and positioned to receive an unobstructed flow of air from a portion of said air pipe, the smaller end of said tapered, tubular member being positioned to discharge on unobstructed flow of air into an adjoining and succeeding portion of said air pipe, whereby heated air, passing thru the said tapered, tubular member, at its small end, will flow in a central zone of said succeeding por- 10 tion of said air pipe, at a materially increased lineal velocity, and carry along with it, outside air, coming in thru said opening, to flow in a cylindrical body of outside air, surrounding the said central zone of velocity increased, heated air.

4. An air flow device made in accordance with claim 3, having in addition thereto, a radially projecting flange surrounding said casing, and positioned to be to one side of said opening.

JOSEPH RUCIER. 

